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Letters-Patent No. 77,304, dated April 28, 1868.

IMPROVED MATERIAL FOR DENTAL PLATES AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES.

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Be it, known that I, JOHN A. McGLELLsND, of Louisville, in the countyofJcffersomand State of Kentucky, have invented a new andimproved'Material for Dental Plates and-for other Purposes, and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art to Thisinvention relates to a new andimproved material for making d'entalplates, or the base of artificial teeth,'and for other purposes; and itconsists in an improved mode of preparing and workinga compound formedof eollodion, made of cotton or other fibres, and resins or gums, (socalled,) which: compound is subjected to peculiar treatment toproduce asolid, homogeneous, massive substance in the form of dental plates orother shapes, as desired, applicable to the manufacture of many usefuland ornamental objects in the arts, in the place of ivory, amber, ebony,horn, hard rubber, and other hard, tough, strong, and resilientsubstances, such, for example,- as beads, bu-ttonsfand other articles inimitation of coral; mouth-pieces for pipes, handles of knives, canes andumbrellas, door-knobs billiard-balls, keys of piano-Fortes, &c., 66. r

In the composition of my improved material for these and similarpurposes, I employ collodionprepared in the usual way, by the treatmentof cotton or other vegetable fibres with sulphuric and nitric acids, andwell known solvents, but although the pyroxylino is made fully soluble,the solution need be made only of the consistency of sir'up. I l I I iTo the collodion is added a solution ot'jgum-copal, or other resinoussubstance, in any desired proportion, accerdingto the nature and qualityof th'e'material to be produced, and the uses to which it is to beapplied,

taking care thoroughly to mix andincorporate the ingredients of thecomposition. Metallic oxides and coloring matters may also be added tothe solution, to give the material greatcnden'sity, and impart any coloror shade of color desired; and, further,- in order to render thematerial quite uninflammable and neutralize the combustible nature ofthe ingredients, there may be also mixed with the solution a smallportion of phosphate of ammonia orof magnesia, iodide of cadmium,peroxide of mercury, or the oxalate of lime.

The composition is then, after being allowed to settle and expel all theair that it may enclose, poured out upon a fiat marbleslab, or otherhard, smooth substance, and driedby a gentle heat, which may be done ina kiln in'connectiou with a still or retort'for recovering the solvents.The residuum will then be in the form of thin sheets or plates. Thesedried sheets or plates of the composition, prepared as described, arethen prepared by cutting or breaking them up into fine particles'orgrinding them into a powder, and when in this state they are ready forworking into a massive solid material'toform dental plates, or for otherpurposes, as previously described. A k 1 I am aware that collodion hasbeen dried in sheets previously, and that it has also been combined withanimal, vegetable, andmineral substances to produce various compounds,which in a pulpy condition have been dried in moulds or forms for thepurposeoi' making various fabrics or articles of manufacture. But theseattempts at working and employing collodion and its compounds in thearts f6? producing fabrics and articles of a massive solid material,have hitherto been unsrxcessful, and this result is not practicable, andcannot be accomplished except by the method of preparing and working thematerial discovered and invented by me, and hereinfully describcd, anddistinguished from all previous attempts or known mdthods ofv treatment.

Pyroxyline in a pulpy condition, or only partially dissolved, so that itshall be merely softened o'r pulpified, has, I am aware, also beenemployed as a plastic material to mould into forms, either alone orcombined with other substances; but all these known methods of workingand applying pyroxyline or collodion and its compounds, are crude anddefective, and are not productive of valuable practical results. I Myimproved methods of preparing and working col-lodion, and the'compoundformed by the combination of resinous substances, differ from thcsepluns of treatment essentially,-and are entirely difi'erent in resultsas respects the nature and quality of the material produced, and-thevalue-of its applications,,particularlyin the formation of dentalplates.

- H a The distinguishing feature of my invention is thecomminution orreduction to n powder'of the dried sheets or nlatesof collodion and'itscompounds,'prepsred as previously described, and then working andWelding it into a solid messive a nd homogeneous material under pressurein moulds.

The next and final pert of my process for forming the improved materielfor dental plates and other purposesis eoeomplished by a slightsaturation of the powdered compound by'tresting'it with ether andaloohol, or other suitable solvents, to render the fine particlesadhesive, soft, and plastic, in which condition the mmrm is placed insuitable moulds, and subjected to powerful pressure, and then cured ordried by the-application of a moderate degree of best, commencing atabout 100 Fahrenheit, alnd gradually rising, in the course of twentyfonrhours or more, to s temper'nture'of'about 160 5:: order tothoroughlyevaporate'nnd dispel all traces of the solvents, and leave thematerial dry and solid.

By this means, the powderedmsterinl is welded as it were-into a compactbody, perfectly homogeneous and nhssive in its character. t I

For forming a dental plate inthis manner, the 'powdered'mnterial isfirst introduced into a proper mould bf'the plate and teeth, for whichpurpose my improved sectional dental mould is especially n'dnptell, andthe material, when in themould; is then ssturoted'vrith etherandalcohol, orfother suitable solvent, and subjected to strong pressure toforee it into 'all the oeviti'esof the mould, and between theinterstices of the teeth.

Theipls te is cured in the same-manner, by a slow and moderateepplieation' ofhost. Theplnstic-mntei'ial surrounds andencloses theteeth, so that theyare held strongly and firmly in the base, and intexture und'color the materiel'msy be made perfect in its imitation ofthe natural gums.

But instead of forming the'dental plate in this manner, by firstintroducing the dry-powdered material in the mould, it may be saturatedwith solvents to form on adhesive plastic body, and placed into thewould in that condition, when the subsequent treatment by pressure "endevaporation of the solvents will be the same in order to'cure andcomplete the dentnlplate.

In its massive form, this new material, thusprepa'red, of the driedsheets or plates of collodion and its compounds, as described; may beworked into'verious useful and beautiful forms by cuttingtools, and thenpolishing-the surface;

Having-described my invention, and the methods of carrying it outpractically, what I-claim as non, and

desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-- p I "1. .The methodsof'p'repnring and working collodion and its compounds to form animproved material, substantiell y'ssherein described. i

2. Forming dental plates of the improved material, prepared aehereindescribed.

J. A. MeOLELLAND.

Witnesses:

Gsone WIILLIAMCARUTFQ E. D. Tuna.

